While
Shishio Makato's (Tatsuya Fujiwara) warship heads towards Tokyo, Himura
Kenshin (Takeru Satoh) trains with his old master to learn his final
technique...

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends picks up right
where Kyoto Inferno ended. It begins with Kenshin's old master
conveniently finding Kenshin washed up on a shore. Kenshin begins
training with his old master until he learns his final technique, which
he'll need to defeat Shishio. Meanwhile, Shishio continues on his path
to overthrowing the government. Also, Aoshi, captain of the Watchers,
continues his hunt for Kenshin. Although it's a little less full than
the previous installment, The Legend Ends leads to an action-packed
climax and satisfying ending.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
is another fantastic installment in the series. I can gush over this
film's immersive world, lively characters, and ferocious action all day.
I was seated and excited for the entire runtime -- and this is a
lengthy one! Swordplay is engaging and ferocious, like the previous
installments. This film has a few better fights, though, especially
towards the end. If you're a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin swordplay, the
climax alone is worth the price of admission -- slick, wall-to-wall,
edge-of-your-seat battles around every corner.

With that said, I
think Kyoto Inferno was the better film. The Legend Ends, despite only
five minutes less in runtime, feels slimmer than Kyoto Inferno. It also
feels a little less balanced and a little more contrived. Furthermore,
I'm kind of half-and-half on the characters. On one hand, we didn't
receive the extra background information on The Ten Swords or Shishio,
like I hope for in my Kyoto Inferno review. On the other hand, we did
learn more about Rurouni Kenshin. All-in-all, I don't think Rurouni
Kenshin: The Legend Ends is a bad film, not at all, I simply think it's
one notch below Kyoto Inferno.

The acting was a little more
emotionally-effective this time around, though. Takeru Satoh was born
for the titular role. Tatsuya Fujiwara gets to shine as the ruthless
villain, as well. The film looks beautiful thanks to the splendid
cinematography. The camerawork is as engaging and agile as ever, in turn
effectively capturing the slick action. I've always loved the Rurouni
Kenshin soundtrack, the music is epic. The action choreography is
impressive; I can't say this enough, the swordplay is ridiculous -- in a
good way! Director Keishi Ōtomo once again crafts a vibrant world with
superb action and great performances.

Overall, Rurouni Kenshin:
The Legend Ends is a fantastic film. In some aspects, it is a little
underwhelming and disappointing -- I have to emphasize 'a little'. At
the same time, The Legend Ends feels like a satisfying conclusion to an
excellent action series. On the point of action, it'll be difficult to
find a better action film in the past decade. Rurouni Kenshin excels in
its swordplay, even with a few story shortcomings. If you're a fan of
this film series, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends is worth the price of
admission and more.